The Bender's Courage
by WolfBreath
Summary: It's a few years after Sozin's Comet, and Zuko and Katara's daughter is found without the ability to bend. During a fateful journey, she must overcome her disapointment in herself and find courage within to restore peace between feuding Nations. R&R plz!
1. Drenched in Disapointment

Kya wrinkled her nose in frustration as she threw her arms at the puddle. "Try again, Kya, you'll get it", her mother encouraged, pushing and pulling the sea currents beside her. Kya kicked at the sand impatiently. "But you make it look so _easy_!" Katara chuckled, and waving her hand in a circle, she bended the puddle into thin wisps, which circled around her daughter's head. Kya laughed, and reached her hand towards the water. But, the minute she so much as touched the liquid, it fell at the girl, completely soaking her. Kya shrieked, falling to her knees and covering her head. "Oh dear," Katara jerked her hand back and the water was bended from Kya's clothes. Rushing over to her side, the waterbender kneeled next to her daughter. "Why-can't-I-waterbend?" she sobbed, looking up at her mother's, concerned, ocean-blue eyes. Her sharp golden eyes brimmed with un-shed tears, ", is…is there something wrong with me?" Suddenly, she felt arms circling her from behind. Turning slightly, Kya saw her father. Golden eyes met golden eyes, and she felt her tears disappear when he spoke in the low, warm, and reassuring voice that she always loved to hear. "No, of course not. All you need is practice. Soon you'll be bending in no time."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

Katara stood and hugged her husband. "The meeting's over?" Fire Lord Zuko ran his fingers through his tousled black hair that he rarely tied up into a top knot (something no past Fire Lord had dared to do). "I called it off early…things are getting a bit out of hand. You'd think after thirteen years, the earth nation would have warmed to the idea of peace. But it seems that they still see us as enemies." His wife shook her head and sighed. "On a brighter note, a letter had just arrived from Aang. He, your brother and his wife are coming to visit, along with Toph." Kya turned a cartwheel and shouted for joy. Katara didn't even bother to reprimand her for acting un-ladylike. "Sokka's coming to visit? Oh, there's so much to do…we haven't heard from them in such a while." Kya punched a fist in the air and whooped, "Uncle Aang's coming to visit!" The couple watched as the young princess raced towards the palace, yelling, "I'll see you later daddy! I got to tell Great-Uncle Iroh about this! Oh boy, I can't wait!" Zuko smiled at his wife, "I heard Suki's bringing along her son. I just hope the boy isn't as big of an eater as his father, otherwise they'll eat all of us out of the Fire Nation!" They laughed, and together, hand –in –hand, they followed their daughter's lead, and dashed for the stairs.

Just as the sun sank towards the horizon, a silhouette of a familiar flying-bison rose, headed for the Fire Nation.


	2. Burning Truth

It's obvious that they hate me. They glare at me as if it was a crime for having darker skin and lighter color hair. It is so unfair! Of course Father would say that they're just not used to _change_, but I know it's not that. I mean, seriously! It's been _fifteen years_ since Sozin's Comet. Then again, it's not just that I look different. I know it's because I can't Firebend. Mother says that it's okay, but she became worried as soon as she realized that I wasn't a Waterbender either! My people, they detest me because of the knowledge that the heir to the throne cannot bend…

I eavesdrop on my parents every night ever since I discovered that air vent opposite to the royal bedchamber that Mother and Father sleep in a few years ago. I learn a lot from doing that. I'm ever so thankful for the training I got from Kyoshi Warrior, Ty Lee, because it's really quite hard to get through those vents. Ever since she started visiting, she helped make me strong. Now I'm quite flexible, although Father says it's good that by nature I'm not like Miss. Ty Lee. I have no idea why he would say that, she's so cheerful and always makes me feel happy whenever she comes. She even taught me Chi blocking! It took a lot of work, but it was worth it.

Leaping down, I stealthily creep up to the door. Pressing my ear to the wood, I can just make out my father's low voice.

"…Katara, you can't deny the truth any longer. She just can't be a Waterbender." Mother's reply was gentle,

"Yes, but Kya cannot FireBend either. At this age, she should have been under training. Zuko…have you considered the possibility of Kya to not have any bending at all?" Immediately, my palms get sweaty and my heart begins to race. _No bending at all? _Then again, I never really had shown any signs of bending. I was always trained in combat with my fists. "Katara…" Father's voice sounded tired, "they'll never accept her- don't interrupt! The nation wants a strong leader that can defend their selves. Uncle doesn't have any grandchildren, and Azula doesn't have children either. What are we going to do?" I silently slide down to the floor. All my life, people had told me that I, the sole heir to the throne, will one day rule the nation. Now, even my parents admit that I can't bend. The truth burns, and I feel the heat in me now that I realize it. Mother is an instructor for waterbending. She often visits the North and South Pole to teach. Although I have never been able to visit my relatives in the South Pole, Master Pakku sometimes comes to visit; he always shows me his waterbending. I was never very keen on getting too near though. Ever since the incident with the puddle three years ago, I became very wary of water, and is very likely to scream whenever liquid is splashed my way. I placed my ear on a crack in the door as Mother spoke,

"… then we'll send her to the South Pole while we figure this out. Kya has very good hearing and knows the palace well…I don't want her to feel too pressured by this in any way." Father replied gently, "We can tell her in the morning. It's late and you should rest." I heard a footsteps walking over to the door. "...I'll just say goodnight to Kya. She's probably still awake, she loves reading the waterbending scrolls that Master Pakku sends over."

Quickly, I dive into the vent and slide the metal cover shut with my foot. The air vents aren't very big, so I had to wiggle as fast as I could through the maze of chutes that eventually lead to my room. I never get lost now; doing this for three years should be enough time for anyone to memorize the way.

_Yes! _I think triumphantly as I push back the door. I fall forward to see a pair of too familiar slippers. "Hello, Mother." I whispered, looking up and giving her a sheepish look. I guess I don't know the chutes as well as I thought.


	3. Caught Red Faced

Kay. Now, I know this is kinda confusing, but I re-read the third chapter, and decided that I didn't like it. So this is the revision. Enjoy!

Kya winced, slightly, as the Fire Lady glared down at her. She watched as her daughter climbed out, blushing. Katara sighed. "Kya, what were you doing in the air vent?" Head down, Kya mumbled,

"I'm sorry Mom."

"You were listening in on me and your father's conversation weren't you?" _Darn._

The princess jerked her head up, astonishment written all over her thin face. Lady Katara shook her head and walked over behind her daughter placing her hands on her slumped shoulders.

"Eavesdropping is wrong, Kya. How are you going to learn to be a good ruler when you're going to act in such an un-trustworthy way?"

Any feelings of shock were replaced with anger and misery. Kya whirled around furiously, yanking herself out of her mother's grasp and yelled,

"I never wanted to be a princess. I don't want to rule. All my life, people have told me that I would be a good ruler, as if they the choice was already made by them. Everyone expects me to be prim and proper; like any _perfect_ princess should be. Why don't they have a different person to rule, someone that actually likes to be stuck in a fancy castle all their life, wearing heavy uncomfortable robes, and constantly having to smile and worry what people think about my hair every single day? But no one cares! No one ever cares what I think! I just can't take it anymore!"

Heavily drained from her rant, Kya fell onto her knees and threw her arms over head, as if to protect her from all her unhappiness. Weeping bitterly, she rocked side to side, as Katara folded her slight frame into a tight hug. Katara's kind and compassionate heart wrenched with sorrow seeing her usually proud and strong daughter this way. When Kya did not pull away like Katara expected she would, her heart also started to weep, for Kya.

_You are strong, Kya. I just wish you would open up a little to me. How alike you are to your father. He, too, disregarded my help at first._

_I never realized that you felt this way. I understand now that you have allowed yourself to let me help you. You are like the sea, it cannot be restrained. You are like fire, it cannot be broken. You're nature is not to be held back. You have much pride, also like your father. _

_I can sense a desire to prove yourself also. _

_**WHAAAP**_

* * *

_**It was Kya's tenth birthday. Only I noticed in amid the preparation for the big day, a girl slip out into the royal garden. As she stumbled into the courtyard, she noticed somebody dressed in blue by the small pond, bending water. **_

_**"Master Pakku!"**_

_**The princess ran to the old water bender and hugged him hard. I watched Master Pakku grunt and tell her that he did not like to be hugged, but I don't have to be Toph to know that he was pleased and thought fondly of Kya. She stepped back and said, "Watch this!"**_

_**Kya threw a punch in an invisible foe, her feet planted firmly on the ground. Master Pakku looked at her curiously and asked,**_

_**"What's that?"**_

_**"It's a fire bending stance! Dad's teaching me how to fire bend. But, no fire yet though. Mom says as long as I do make produce any fire, I can still train to be a water bender." Kya announced importantly. From the frown on his face, I could tell that Master Pakku disapproved of Kya learning to be a Fire bender. He didn't say that but I could see that he wanted to.**_

_**"How are you going to learn Fire bending and Water bending at the same time? You must focus on one of them to realize your full potential to Water bending."**_

_**"Master Pakku, will you teach me water bending?" Kya laughed, dancing around the master, "Mother says that I have talent!"**_

_**"But no fire bending while I teach, princess."**_

_**"Yes!"**_

_**"Alright, show me what you've got." **_

_**"You really think I could learn how to Water Bend, Master Pakku?"**_

_**"To learn, you must concentrate. Let me see your bending stance – excellent…"**_

_**I smiled, noticing how hard Kya tried to prove to Master Pakku that she was concentrating. She hung on to every word, her golden eyes shining with excitement. **_

_**I watched and listened silently as my grandfather demonstrated pushing and pulling the water. I watched Kya frown with concentration, and I watched as Kya tried and failed to will the water to move. Master Pakku was surprised at her determination to keep trying. **_

_**"Good, determination is a start to water bend-"he started apprehensively. He was startled when Kya interrupted forcefully,**_

_**"No! I know that you don't expect me to be able to water bend. But let me tell you this, Master Pakku; if I can't water bend, then Mom will be disappointed with me, and it's already obvious that I can't Fire bend. I didn't want to give up, but even Dad lost hope in me. So, if I can't bend at all, then I'll be a failure to not only my parents, but the whole Fire Nation!" Kya jerked her hands over the unmoving water, "That's why I will**_ never _**give up!"**_

* * *

_**WHAAAP**_

"You want to be a bender, don't you, Kya?"

"I always watched you and dad spar in the morning." Kya stated, her tears still streaming down her cheeks. Hastily, she scrubbed her eyes with her sleeve. Katara smiled sadly, remembering the princess in her sleeping clothes peeping at the dancing water with wide eyes.

"Yes." Silence fell between them, and together they listened to soft chirping song of crickets sitting in the balcony.

"Sokka was always jealous of my water bending when we were young."

"_Uncle Sokka?"_ They were now sitting cross legged, face-to-face. Katara nodded.

"I never knew he wanted to bend."

"He did."

"Like me." Her mother simply looked at her. Golden met deep blue, and something passed between them, a understanding. Kya suddenly yawned, and the moment was broken. But, she still felt her mother's gaze as she stood and hopped into bed. Her mother hugged her and kissed Kya on her forehead. Katara turned to leave when Kya whispered,

"You're sending me away." Katara hesitated, and whispered back,

"In the morning I'll explain."

* * *

At least theres one person that appreciates my writing. I might not be able to update as quickly, though, but I'll try my best! :)

WolfBreath


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